Energy from the Print Shop

Nano solar cells could make photovoltaics unrivalled in price.

They manage without expensive semiconductors and can be produced like newspapers in a roll-to-roll procedure: Dye and organic solar cells should provide cost-effective solar energy in a few years on a grand scale. However, there are some obstacles.

In the nano-photovoltaics industry, there is movement: Plextronics has developed a unique solar cell, with which energy is produced by plastic molecules instead of by silicon ones. Solubilised, these can be applied to foil like newsprint in a continuous process. “We want to considerably lower manufacturing costs to below the industry standard,” says Plextronics boss Andy Hannah. Silicon modules are currently about two EUR per watt.

The technology is based on light-collecting layers, just micrometres in thickness. Consequently, this technology can, in terms of physical dimensions, be regarded as part of the nanotechnology field. In order to accelerate market introduction, Plextronics is cooperating with the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre (IMEC) in the Belgian town of Leuven. By 2012, the joint venture wants to have developed an industry-standard production process for the technology, as well as increased efficiency and lifespan. Efficiency and durability have been the major drawbacks of nano photovoltaics to date: Plextronics cells only convert 5.9 percent of light in the laboratory and have already lost some of their performance after just a few days as the organic substances rapidly decompose.